Family of Blood
by pagetcookgubler
Summary: "She was her guardian, her protector, and she couldn't fail her. She was all Olivia had, and vice versa." When a child claiming to be Emily Prentiss' half sister comes knocking at her door in the middle of the night, it sets off a chain of events no one could've seen coming.
1. Dead Until Further Notice

**Okay. This idea has been floating around in my head for a while and I think I've finally gotten to the point where I'm happy with where this is going. I hope you guys will forgive me for changing this around so much. Anyway, updated version again of Against All Odds. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Dead Until Further Notice**

 _ **October 15, 1985**_

Lauren Reynolds couldn't breathe. Her tears were made of salt just as bitter as the memories that spurred them on. She felt like her entire life was coming to an end. With shaking hands, she pulled herself up from the floor and stared at her stomach in the mirror. It wasn't obvious yet, but in about 4 months she wouldn't be able to hide it anymore.

She knew at that moment what she needed to do, and with shaky hands and jelly legs, she began packing her belongings. It was the only way. If he found out she was pregnant, he'd finally follow through on his threats to kill her.

Grabbing all the birthday money she had left, she took one last look around the bedroom she grew up in. As quietly as she could, she opened her window and – just like she'd done so many times before – climbed out into the cool fall air and onto the fire escape.

There was a motel just a few blocks away. Every part of her body still ached from earlier that day and she knew she would be tired, but she had to do it. She'd check in under a fake name and he'd never be able to find her. He wasn't that smart.

Twenty minutes later, she was standing in front of the Motel 6 and ready to start her new life. She took a deep breath before walking inside. You're not Lauren Reynolds anymore. _Lauren Reynolds is dead._

"Ma'am?"

She jumped at the sound of the clerk's voice and cleared her throat. "Huh?"

"Checking in?"

Lauren nodded, stepping forward to be waited on. She handed the clerk all the money she had and yanked her hand away when she noticed the clerk was staring at the bruises on her arm with a concerned look on her face. "Emily Prentiss."

At just fifteen years old, Lauren Reynolds made the decision to run away from home and start anew.

Lauren Reynolds is dead.

 _ **January 26, 2011**_

Emily inwardly groaned at the knock on her door, the idea of crawling into her warm bed and forgetting about the case suddenly forgotten. She slowly moved in sock-clad feet to her door, swinging it open to reveal a little girl no older than ten.

Once she got over the initial shock of a young child showing up at her door past midnight, she finally found her voice. When she spoke, her voice was soft, soothing – like she was talking to a victim's family member. "Can I help you?"

The girl stood in the doorway. Silent, hands shaking. She just nodded her head, opening her mouth to say something, anything, but then closing it again. What if she just sent her away again? She had done lots of research on this woman – way more than she ever would for anything to do with school – and everything told her that she was a good person that just wanted to help people. But she didn't think a lot of people showed up at her door in the middle of the night asking for help. She finally managed to squeak out her name. "Olivia."

Emily sighed, reaching up to turn the living room light on. She didn't miss the wince that the girl – who she assumed was named Olivia – gave when she moved towards her. "That's your name? Olivia?" Emily finally managed to get a good look at the girl. The light illuminated every last bruise and cut on her face and Emily gasped softly at the sight of her. She outstretched her hand and didn't wait for her to take it before dragging her into the apartment. In any other circumstance, she would've waited, but somebody had hurt this little girl badly and Emily feared they were still close by.

Olivia seemed to finally find her voice, but only enough for her to protest being dragged into a strange apartment. "No!" She dug her heels into the carpeted hallway and went limp, causing Emily to stumble and almost fall over. She quickly let go of her hand and curled into a ball in the corner of the hallway. She had been wrong about Emily all along and now she was paying for it, just like she would when she finally got back home. Her father had been right, no one cared about her. No one wanted to help her.

"Olivia?"

Olivia's head snapped up, her gaze fixed on Emily as she got closer and closer. She was going to punish her just like her father and Olivia swore that she saw Emily sneer at her when she finally got close enough to do whatever she wanted to her. She hid her face in her knees when Emily crouched down and when she felt Emily touch her arm, she almost jumped out of her skin. She winced and waited. Waited for the pain, for the mean words, for the laughter. But it never came.

Instead, Emily just changed positions so she was sitting next to her, her hand rubbing Olivia's back gently while she kept an eye out for any strangers that came down the hall. After what felt like forever but was actually only about two minutes, Olivia finally looked at her. "Olivia, my name is Emily. I'd love to help you, if you'd let me."

Olivia eyed Emily carefully, sussing her out. She noticed Emily's sneer was actually a smile. It made her feel safe, somehow. Loved.

If she wanted to hurt her, surely, she would have done it by now, right? Olivia bit her lip and nodded slowly, her hand reaching for Emily's with as much hesitation as her ten-year-old body could ever be filled with.

Emily smiled and stood up with Olivia in tow. When they finally made it back into her apartment, she locked the door and secretly grabbed her gun from her side table. This little girl had been through enough and as long as she was in Emily's apartment, nothing else was going to happen to her. She told Olivia that she would be right back and not to move before quickly going into the bathroom and grabbing her first-aid kit.

"What's that?" Olivia asked once Emily returned. She watched as Emily set it on the kitchen counter. She never had anything like that in her house, but it looked like the symbol on ambulances. She's been in lots of those before.

"It's a first-aid kit." Emily explained, helping Olivia onto the counter before opening it. "I know it looks kind of scary inside, but everything in here is made to help you when you're hurt." She took out some bandages and disinfectant, causing Olivia to back away from her.

Emily cut a piece of cloth off that she thought would be big enough for the gash on Olivia's forehead and demonstrated by wrapping it around her own arm. "See? Harmless."

Olivia nodded, an action that Emily took to mean that she had permission to bandage her up. She squeezed some of the disinfectant on the bandage and folded it over to rub it through. She slowly covered the wound, not missing the whimper that came out of Olivia when it touched the sore spot.

"Sorry." Emily apologized before going to work examining the other wounds. She had determined that the only thing she could do for the bruises was to wait for them to fade. "There."

Olivia jumped off the counter and Emily was ready for a chase when Olivia ran into her arms, mumbling a 'thank you' before letting go.

Emily nodded, kneeling in front of her so they were face to face. She knew exactly what had happened to this child and it made her sick. What she needed to know was why she showed up at Emily's apartment and who she could take her back to. Someone had to be missing a sweet little girl like her. "So, are you gonna tell me how you got here?"

Olivia shrugged, avoiding Emily's gaze. "I kind of looked you up." At the incredulous look on Emily's face, she elaborated. "I'm Olivia Reynolds."

Emily's heart sunk and her face paled. She shook her head and slowly backed away, stubbing her toe on the leg of the couch in the process. She would've cursed in pain had there not been a small child in the room with her. "You're saying that he's…he had another child?" Emily couldn't stomach the thought of her father with a young child – not after what he'd put her through.

She understood that the situation was a lot worse than her father knocking up some other woman – hell, the bastard had to have caught onto the fact that Olivia had ran away by now. He was in the wind and could've been halfway to Mexico by now, but in Emily's eyes, the severity was that another little girl's innocence was long gone and she would never be able to get it back.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." She mumbled, quickly excusing herself before rushing to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach. When she returned a few moments later, legs still feeling like jelly and beads of sweat dripping off her forehead, she noticed something – or rather, someone – was missing.

"Damn it!" She frantically searched the apartment for Olivia while trying to maintain her composure.

 _Stay calm, Emily. There's no way he knows where you are._

"Olivia?"

Nothing.

"Damn it, Olivia. Where did you go?" She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and her hand instinctively went to the gun she had hidden in her small of back holster.

Quickly and quietly, she moved towards the source of movement, ready to shoot. Her eyes focused on the couch and just as quickly as she had pulled the gun out, she had hidden it again.

There, on the sofa, was Olivia sound asleep with Sergio curled into her side. Emily couldn't help the smile that played at her lips as Olivia's fists gripped the blanket tightly.

She knelt down in front of the sofa, brushing Olivia's hair out of her face. She knew she'd have to wake her up to move her to the spare bedroom – there was no way she was letting her sleep on the couch with their father on the loose – but she just couldn't find it in her. "Olivia."

Olivia started, her eyes darting around the room before finally landing on Emily. It took her a minute to realize where she was and what was happening, but once she did, her cheeks turned a bright red and she quickly sat up, avoiding Emily's gaze. "Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, I swear. I just laid down for a second and…"

"Hey," Emily grabbed Olivia's hands, rubbing her thumbs across Olivia's knuckles. "It's okay. I just thought you'd be more comfortable in the spare room." She stood slowly, so as not to scare her again – she really didn't think she had it in her to play chase again. She held out her hand and waited for Olivia to take it.

Olivia took Emily's hand and let her lead her to the spare bedroom, taking in the sights of the two-floor condo. It was way bigger than her house. Cozier, too. It was filled with pictures of Emily and her friends, trinkets that Olivia had never even seen before and more books than she could even count.

They had finally stopped in front of a door and Emily pushed it open, ushering her inside. "Sorry it's messy. I don't have a lot of company." She figured that wherever Olivia ended up, she could always visit. They would go shopping in the morning and she would let Olivia pick out some things that made her feel more comfortable. "We'll talk decorating tomorrow, okay?"

Olivia nodded, an indication she had heard, but she wasn't really listening to what Emily was saying. She was too enamored with the room.

It was huge – maybe even the biggest bedroom she's ever seen. Bookcases lined the wall closest to the bed – not to mention, she had a bed. At home, she just had a blanket and a dirty pillow that he threw on the floor for her.

She looked at the dresser and saw the picture of two blonde women with Emily sandwiched in between them. They looked so nice. Olivia had never known very many nice people. "Who are they?"

Emily came over to Olivia to see what she was looking at. "Those are my colleagues. That's Penelope," she said, pointing to the woman on the left, "and that's Jennifer." She pointed to the woman on the right, before adding, "But she prefers JJ."

Olivia put the picture back on the dresser before she walked over to the bed and climbed in. It was so warm and comfortable. She decided she never wanted to leave Emily's house. "Can I meet them?"

Emily smiled, covering Olivia with the blankets. "I'm sure they'd love you. But right now, you need to sleep. It's late and you've got a big day tomorrow." She placed a kiss to her forehead before standing. "Good night."

"'Night, Emily."

And with those two words, Olivia was out again. Emily quietly left the room, closing the door behind her. What the hell was she doing?

She knew what she had to do. Call the police, CPS. But they'd take her away and they'd never see each other again. Olivia needed her, and Emily would be lying if she said she didn't need Olivia as well.

She was her guardian, her protector, and she couldn't fail her. She was all Olivia had, and vice versa.


	2. Here Comes the Sun

**Here Comes the Sun**

Emily groaned when she heard her phone ringing from beside her, reaching across the bed to grab it before it woke Olivia. She froze when she felt someone move next to her and she slowly turned around, coming face to face with Olivia.

Emily thought she must've crawled into bed with her after a nightmare. She reached out to her sleeping form and gently pushed her hair out of her face, her ringing phone now abandoned. There were more pressing issues at hand. "Olivia."

Olivia slowly opened her eyes and saw someone staring back at her, causing her to jump back. She still had to remind herself that she wasn't in that house anymore and she didn't have to be afraid every time she didn't wake up alone. "Emily? What time is it?"

"Early." She answered, playing with a strand of Olivia's dark curls. "You could have woken me up, you know."

Olivia's cheeks turned a bright shade of red and she avoided Emily's gaze as she whispered, "I just got a little scared on my own." Before Emily could respond, she changed the subject. "Your phone's ringing."

Emily silently cursed, remembering what had woken her up in the first place. If she didn't answer it now, it was entirely possible that Hotch would send JJ and Reid to check the apartment for her corpse. She quickly grabbed the phone, hearing Olivia say she was going to get ready for the day. "Prentiss."

 _"What took you so long?"_

Emily winced at the sound of Hotch's angry voice. She wasn't sure, but she'd thought she heard the tiniest bit of relief as well. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm a heavy sleeper." And Emily internally groaned at the excuse she had come up with. She couldn't sound more awake. "We have a case?"

 _"Yes. In New York. Get here as soon as you can."_

Emily nodded before realizing Hotch couldn't see her. She had no idea what it was about her boss that made her so nervous, but she hated it. "Yes sir. I'll call Morgan."

 _"Alright. I'll see you soon."_

Emily hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing on the bed. She composed herself and padded out to the kitchen, smiling at the sight in front of her. Olivia had already fed herself, she could tell by the empty container of milk on the counter. She was watching Saturday morning cartoons – SpongeBob SquarePants, by the sounds of things – and Patrick had said something that caused her to burst into a fit of giggles.

 _Shit._ It had only just crossed her mind that she didn't have a babysitter. She quickly pulled out her phone and started looking up daycares in the area. _Of course, none of them are accepting drop ins._

Emily looked at her sister who was still completely distracted by the TV. She couldn't believe this was something that hadn't crossed her mind sooner, given her profession. _God, I'm terrible at this._ She wracked her brain, trying to come up with some kind of solution.

She supposed she could leave her with the neighbors, but she didn't know them all that well and Olivia was terrified of strangers. She could try to find someone off of Craigslist, but there was always the fear that those people aren't always who they say they are.

The thought of taking her to work and leaving her with Garcia briefly crossed her mind, but as she ran out of other ideas, it was slowly becoming her only option. She sighed; it would take a lot of convincing to get Hotch on board, but she didn't have any other option.

"Hey, Livi? How'd you like to come see where I work?"

* * *

Penelope Garcia seemed to have some kind of a sixth sense when children were around. She came out of her bat cave, file folders in hand and smile covering her face from ear to ear. Her hair was in two separate buns, one on either side of her head and she was sporting pink-framed glasses with white polka dots. "Emily Prentiss, you have some serious explaining to do."

Olivia immediately recognized the woman as Penelope – the lady from the photograph in Emily's spare bedroom. While she looked like everything Olivia wanted to be in the picture, she was a little more intimidating in person and she couldn't help but hide her small body behind Emily while peeking out at her from behind her sister's legs.

Emily crouched down to Olivia's height, taking her sister's hands in her own. "Olivia, this is your aunt Penelope. She's completely harmless, I promise. Can you say hi?"

Olivia gave a small wave in Garcia's direction in response, still sticking to Emily's side as Emily introduced her to who she knew as Penelope. She let Emily lead her over to a nearby chair while her and Penelope talked in private.

"Em, she's precious. How have we never met that sweet little treasure chest of delight?"

It took a second for Emily to figure out just how Garcia came up with that analogy, but once she realized she was probably better off not knowing, she responded. "She's my half sister. She ran away from home and tracked me down last night. It looks like she's gonna be staying with me for a while."

Garcia's face visibly brightened at the news, seemingly thrilled that there was a new child to spoil. It didn't last long, though, when she saw Emily's face. Everything clicked and she felt the lump in her throat at the thought of someone hurting a child. It wasn't new to her – she's worked too many cases where kids were in Olivia's situation, but she didn't know them. "Oh, God. Emily, I'm…"

"Don't." Emily cut her off before she could finish. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate Garcia's sympathy – she did – but she had spent years hearing those three words, and she wasn't sure she could handle it if Olivia had to hear them too. "I just…I need you to watch her. Just for this one case, until I can find someone. Please."

Garcia nodded, hugging Emily not only for her friend, but for herself. "Of course. Anything you need, I'm here for both of you." She pulled away and strode over to Olivia before kneeling down to her height. "Hey, Olivia. You're gonna hang out with me for a couple of days while Emily stops the bad guy, okay?"

Olivia looked at Emily who nodded, a sign that Penelope could be trusted. She bit her lip, hesitantly grabbing Garcia's outstretched hand and letting her lead her to the bat cave with Emily in tow.

This would definitely be interesting.

* * *

Derek Morgan knew something was off with his partner the minute he saw her that morning. He had asked her if she was okay, and as usual, she had replied with a quiet 'I'm fine'. Derek didn't buy it, though. He could tell she was tired, the dark circles under her eyes and stifled yawns throughout the day had told him that. She said it was just the case and once she got home and into her own bed, she'd be good as new.

Now, they were in the NYPD precinct and Derek had seen enough of his partner's suffering. He approached her in the conference room, making sure they were alone before sitting in the seat next to her. "Prentiss."

Emily looked up at the man in front of her, plastering a fake smile on her face. It didn't reach her eyes and Derek noticed just that. "Morgan, hey."

Derek sighed at the lack of progress he was making with his partner. He'd thought after he returned home from Chicago, they'd reached a point in their relationship where they were able to trust each other.

 _Derek paused the football game when he heard the knock on the door, racking his brain trying to figure out who could possibly be at his apartment at the late hour. He'd thought it was a neighbor asking to borrow something until he opened the door and saw her standing there with a bag of Chinese food and a six pack of Heineken._

 _"Emily."_

 _She smiled widely at her partner and attempted a wave with her too full hands, stepping inside when he opened the door wider for her to come in. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."_

 _Derek shook his head, his football game now forgotten. He grabbed the beer from her hand, setting it down on the kitchen counter. The promise of Chinese food was too tempting to be angry at his friend who did, in fact, interrupt a winning streak in his favorite team. "Not at all."_

 _Emily set the food down next to the beer and bit her lip, trying to find a way to bring up the conversation she hoped to have with her colleague. She took a seat at the island, smiling gratefully when Derek pushed a plate full of chicken in front of her. "I remembered you said Kung Pao chicken was your favorite. I'm glad you didn't beat me to the punch."_

 _Derek neglected to mention the fact that the only reason he'd decided not to order in himself was because after he'd returned home, he was too emotionally drained to face the world. Once the food was in front of him, though, he was beyond grateful his partner had remembered. "Thank you."_

 _Emily nodded, taking a bite of chicken. The silence between them was comfortable, as it so often was with the two friends. She eyed Derek subtly, taking a sip of the proffered beer. "How was Chicago?"_

 _Derek was thankful that she had chosen to word the question the way that she did, because everyone else on the team had asked him how he was, and while he knew Emily was just as concerned, he was glad that the woman was not babying him like the rest of them. He didn't need babying. He needed time. "Chicago was…" He paused, trying to find the right word to sum up his experience. "Chicago was grueling."_

 _Emily nodded in understanding, her hand slowly – hesitantly – reaching across the table to squeeze Morgan's. She knew all too well what he was feeling and what he needed was support. Support she never had, support she was willing to give to her partner. She had made the decision to tell him on the way over because maybe, just maybe, if she'd known someone in her predicament when she was a child, she wouldn't have been the same damaged woman she was today. "You're not alone."_

 _Derek looked down at their connected hands, nodding his head. He knew he wasn't alone, he'd seen that first-hand. With James and the other victims. "I know, Prentiss."_

 _"This never leaves this room." She said sternly, looking at Derek. Before she told him anything, she had to know she could count on him to keep it between them. He was the first person she actually told, and, like him, she'd been harboring the fear and self-loathing for years now. She just couldn't bear to see anyone she knew having to go through what she did – especially Derek Morgan. He was a good man – a rarity in Emily's life. She would do what she could to make sure he stayed that way._

 _Derek's head snapped up and he looked at Emily. For the first time since he'd met her, he saw fear and uncertainty in her eyes. He squeezed her hand tighter, a silent reassurance that he would, in fact, keep her secret a secret. "Promise."_

 _"I was so young that I don't even remember the first time it happened." She started, avoiding Derek's gaze. "We were never in one place too long, and my mother was away a lot. I was left alone with my father." She subconsciously squeezed Derek's hand tighter, her eyes burning with unshed tears. "His reasoning was that my mother was away too much and he 'had to get it from someone'. You can guess who that someone was."_

 _Derek ran his thumb across her knuckles, visibly calm but inside he was seething. The thought of someone's own father doing those things to his daughter was absolutely infuriating. The thought of it happening to Prentiss was that much worse._

 _"I was fifteen. In Rome. He got me pregnant. I couldn't tell my mother. My friend Matthew was the only person I told – and even then, I didn't tell him how it happened. He stayed with me while I got the abortion. He could see how scared I was to face my parents, so he helped me get away. He bought me a one-way ticket to DC and I got a job as a waitress in a diner on Pennsylvania Avenue. He helped me start over by convincing my parents that I had died in a car crash. I don't even know how he did it, but he did. I started over, changed my name and tried my hardest to forget about everything. Matthew saved my life." She reluctantly let go of Derek's hand to wipe her tears away with a shaky hand. "But you? You're the first person I've ever told about him_

 _Derek could see how hard she was trying to compose herself, and he felt the sudden urge to hold her and never let her go. He wanted – nay, needed – to protect her from the world because she had seen enough evil to last a lifetime. They both had. And as Derek grabbed her hands once again, there was an unspoken agreement to protect each other from the evil that their jobs had thrown at them. There was a bond that the two agents had shared. A bond that, no matter how hard the world would try to break, could not be shattered._

"Talk to me, Em. It's _me_."

Emily sighed, running a hand through her hair, the case files that Hotch assigned to her now abandoned. She smiled sadly at her partner, looking around the room as if she was afraid someone would overhear. The room, however, was empty which seemed to satisfy Emily. "It's about my father."

Derek's fists clenched at his sides, the feeling of overprotectiveness that he'd grown so used to around her consuming every bone in his body. "Emily, did he find you? Did he do something to you? I swear, if he…"

"No," she started, placing a hand on his arm to calm him. Her heart swelled at the thought of him being so ready to protect her if her father had, in fact, come after her again. She found herself assuring him that if it was something like that, he would be the first to know. "He has a daughter. A ten-year-old. A child. Olivia."

Derek's face hardened as he put two and two together, the way Emily had just last night. He placed a hand over her hand that was still resting on his arm. "Jesus. Em, I'm sorry."

Emily nodded, removing her hand from his arm and focusing her attention on the file once again. She felt his fingers under her chin a few seconds later, forcing her to look at him. The look in his eyes was one of determination and Emily knew why.

"What are you gonna do?"

Emily sighed, the file once again abandoned. If Hotch had been in the room with them, she was sure they'd be facing suspension or worse. "I don't know. I let her stay with me last night and made sure she was safe with Garcia before leaving today, but I'm still trying to figure out what to do in the long run." Her voice was small, defeated. "I just know I have to do something. He's already hurt her so much, Derek. I can't let him ruin her like he did to me. I just can't."

Derek fought the urge to tell her that she, in fact, was not ruined. She had been through a traumatic experience as a child and it made her into the woman he was proud to call his partner today. "I'll tell you what you do. You file for custody. You go before a judge, use your power as an FBI agent. You get her out of that house permanently and away from that man."

And the look of steely determination that Emily saw on his face made her think that wasn't the worst idea in the world.

* * *

She could feel him staring at her, even with her eyes closed while she pretended to sleep. It was only a few seconds before the bed shifted and she sat up, gun in hand and pointed at the intruder. Her hands were shaking, lump in her throat and nerves eating away at her stomach as she saw his face. _This isn't real. It can't be real._

He grinned that evil grin that she'd spent so long wiping from her memory and it was only when she realized that there was someone laying in the bed next to her that she lowered her weapon. It was useless – he had found her, had found both of them and there was no point in fighting anymore. He'd taken everything from her. "Olivia." She whimpered, her sister's lifeless eyes staring back at her. He'd done it on purpose, positioning the body so that she could see what she did, what her actions made him do.

"If it's any consolation," he started, holding the knife to her throat so she didn't try anything. She'd lowered the gun, but she'd also convinced him she was dead. She was unpredictable. "She called out for you right before I sliced her throat open."

"No," she whispered, her body shaking with sobs. She had tried so hard to keep her safe, to make her feel loved and she couldn't even do that right. She closed her eyes – when her team found her, she didn't want them to be haunted by her lifeless stare.

Her team. The people who loved her regardless of her past, her demons. She had already lost Olivia, but her team needs her too. She opened her eyes again, grabbing her gun. "No." Her voice was strong, determined. She had the gun aimed at his kneecap and her finger on the trigger when she heard the ringing of her phone.

She tried to grab it to silence the ringing, but she couldn't. She tried pulling the trigger, alerting her team to the danger she was in any way she knew how. What the fuck? She reached out to touch Olivia's face, but she was gone. She no longer felt the cool metal of the knife blade at her throat. He was gone, too.

She breathed in and out, trying to keep her composure. It was a dream, Emily. It was just a dream. She finally got her breathing under control and she slowly reached over to stop the alarm on her phone before finding Garcia in her list of contacts. She didn't have to wait long for her to pick up, but when she did, it sounded like she had just been asleep and her voice was nothing but a whisper.

 _"Penelope Garcia – your number one source of everything knowledgeable and unknowledgeable at your service. Speak and you shall be heard."_

"Garcia, it's me." Emily could hear the woman shuffling around in the office before another voice came on the line.

 _"Emily?"_

Emily breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the sound of Olivia's voice. She smiled into the phone, her dream now forgotten. She needed to focus on her sister, not on her own past and fears. "Hey, Livi. You doing okay?"

 _"Yeah!"_ Her voice was bright, happy. _"Penelope's office is **so** cool! She's got, like, 50 computers! Have you ever been in here?"_

"A couple of times." She answered through a small chuckle. The silence was brief but comfortable before Olivia broke it.

 _"I miss you. When are you coming home?"_

Emily paused, trying to think of a way to explain that they had made no progress in the mere hours that they've been there and that it would most likely be at least a week before they returned. "It looks like we're still gonna be a few days, Livi. But you're gonna stay with Penelope until then. And I promise I'll come back as soon as I can. You just focus on having fun with Penelope, okay?"

 _"Okay."_ Olivia sounded satisfied with Emily's answer before talking to Penelope about an elephant figurine that caught her eye. Emily took that to mean that she was done talking to her and said goodbye to Garcia before hanging up the phone and getting ready to start the day.

* * *

It took an entire two weeks for them to catch the unsub and Emily was more than ready to sleep in her own bed again. She had made the decision not to tell Olivia that she was fighting for custody – it would only make it that much harder on them if she loses. Instead, she had simply promised her that she would provide a safe place with food, shelter and a warm, soft bed for as long as she needed it.

She had finally gotten Olivia to go to sleep, immediately bringing out the much-needed bottle of Moscato d'Asti and pouring herself a glass. She hadn't had much time to research the process of custody battles during the case, but she knew that she stood a fighting chance. All she needed was evidence.

 _Which would be easier to obtain if your father wasn't the most powerful lawyer in the greater DC area._

She sighed, remembering her conversation with her team on the plane. She had told them about Olivia on the way home because it looked as though she was going to be a part of Emily's life for a long time to come and Emily knew that anyone who was a part of her life was a part of her team's.

They had promised her that they would support both of them through everything because they were family and that's what family did. They had met her when they landed and Emily's heart swelled with happiness when she saw how good they all were with her.

Reid had showed her his magic tricks and JJ, Seaver and Garcia fought over who was going to spoil her more. Rossi had tried – and failed – to teach her some basic Italian, and Hotch and Morgan seemed to have taken the role of her bodyguards with their hands glued to their holsters waiting for any danger that may approach them.

When Emily asked her what she thought of them, she hesitated before answering. Her words had taken Emily by surprise – she had thought Olivia seemed way too overwhelmed with the attention.

 _"They're so cool! When can I see them again?"_

Now, Emily was torn. She had wanted more than anything to keep Olivia safe – she was really starting to grow on her. It wasn't until she had Olivia in her life that she realized how much she loved having someone depend on her and her alone. She suddenly couldn't imagine her life without her. She loved her.

And she knew exactly what she needed to do to keep her safe.


	3. The Caretaker

**The Caretaker**

It was 9:37 in the morning, and something or someone was banging around downstairs. Emily Prentiss jolted awake, her breathing stilled. She slowly grabbed her gun from her bedside table's drawer, throwing the covers from her and standing up.

She moved towards the door, her mind focused on one thing. _Olivia_. The banging got louder – it was coming from the kitchen. She froze when she heard the TV turn on. She couldn't make it out from upstairs, but it sounded like one of the shows that Olivia liked to watch. Was she awake? _No. She would've woken you up. She always wakes you up._

She rounded the corner, gun pointed at the intruder. Lowering her weapon, she sighed. "Garcia. What are you doing here?"

"Morning, sunshine!" Garcia strode over to her friend with a plate of french toast in her hand, waving it in front of her face. "French toast?"

Emily took the plate, setting it back on the island counter. "When I gave you a spare key to my apartment, I thought it was implied that it was for _emergencies_ only."

Movement in the living room caught her eye and before she could react, she saw Olivia poke her head out of the blanket fort that she had somehow missed until then. "They brought me presents, Emily!" Olivia waved a stuffed elephant in front of her. "And Aunt Penelope makes the best french toast ever! You should get the recipe."

" _They_?" Emily turned to Garcia, an eyebrow raised in question. Before she could answer, Derek stuck his head out of the fort and she wanted to be frustrated, but really, they weren't doing anything _wrong_ and he was so good with Olivia.

"Come on, Prentiss. Get in the blanket fort."

Emily wanted to tell him to grow up, that he should have outgrown his fort phase years ago, but she saw Olivia's face – she'd never seen her so excited – and she really thought about it. She had to set an example for this child for as long as she was with her, and the time that they did have together was time that Emily wanted her to remember.

Without a second thought, she took her plate of french toast and climbed into the fort, Garcia in tow. "Wow, Livi. This place is amazing. Thank you for letting me in." Olivia beamed at Emily, the smile Emily was getting so used to. She took a bite of the french toast – which _was_ incredible, just as Olivia had said – and watched her two friends interact with her sister.

They had brought a bead set – courtesy of Garcia – into the fort and had started making bracelets. Derek seemed to hesitate, his macho man reputation put into question, before helping the girls. It hadn't taken Olivia long to finish the bracelets for everyone.

Garcia and Derek had put theirs on right away, but Olivia had spent a little extra time with Emily's. She wanted it to be perfect. Emily deserved that much. She stuck her tongue out, concentrating fully on the bracelet.

She had remembered Emily told her that her favorite color was blue, so she separated all the blue beads and put as many on the string as she could before tying it up just like her aunt Penelope had shown her. "Here." She dropped it in Emily's outstretched hand, waiting for her reaction.

"I love it, honey. Thank you." Emily put the bracelet on and was taken aback when Olivia jumped into her arms. She hugged her back, holding her close. She ignored the feeling of uneasiness that shot through her entire body, holding her tighter. Olivia was in their lives now and Emily was going to do whatever it took to keep her.

* * *

They stayed in the fort for two hours before Garcia had started begging Emily to let her take Olivia to the park a few blocks down the street from her condo. Emily had finally relented, seeing how excited Olivia was at the mention of the monkey bars.

She had let Garcia take control, sitting back at an empty picnic table with Derek while keeping an eye on the two. She had led Garcia to the swings, the latter getting behind her and pushing her gently back and forth.

"We have to figure out what to do when we're away on a case." Emily was the first to voice both of their thoughts, glancing at the young child. She was engrossed in conversation with Garcia and thankfully hadn't overheard her. Emily had done some research the night before after Olivia had gone to bed and she quickly found out that separation anxiety would most likely be an issue with her.

"We'll start looking online for someone to come and watch her while we're away." He saw the look on her face at his words and took her hand across the table. "Em, we won't hire anyone who you don't approve of completely. I promise."

Emily nodded, squeezing Derek's hand gently. She hadn't missed the fact that he said 'we', implying that she wouldn't have to do any of this alone. She couldn't be more grateful. She glanced back at Olivia before looking at Derek again. The thought of a complete stranger watching her sister was something that made her a little sick to her stomach, if only because she knew exactly what kind of people were out there.

"I'm struggling." She whispered, avoiding Derek's gaze. Opening up had always been difficult for her, but she'd been doing it more with Morgan. After she told him about her father, the two made a deal that there would be no secrets between them. And, while it had been hard for her to offer all of her trust to her partner, she could easily say that if push came to shove, she'd much rather share her fears and troubles with Derek than any other member of her team.

"She's only ten." Emily's voice was low, full of emotion. "She's been through so much already. I can't let anything else happen to her. I just _can't_ , Derek."

"We won't." And hearing the certainty in Derek's voice, looking into his eyes, feeling his thumb rubbing across her knuckles, her fears had subsided, if only the slightest bit.

Her heart sank when she saw Olivia climb on top of the monkey bars after Garcia looked away for only a second to admire a puppy. She saw her lose her footing and she could see her fall before it happened.

When had they even moved to the monkey bars? Could she call out to Garcia in time? Would Olivia hear her if she told her to be careful? She saw Derek rush over to her to try and catch her before she hit the ground but it was useless.

The thud and blood-curdling scream that followed it caught Garcia's attention and she gasped when she saw Emily running over to them. "Oh, my God. Em, I'm so sorry. I just looked away for a second and…"

Emily ignored Garcia – not because she was mad at her, she knew that no one had been at fault – but because she was so focused on making sure Olivia was okay. She was cradling her wrist and she had a gash on her knee, but Emily was more concerned about her wrist. "Livi, can you let me see your wrist?"

Olivia whimpered in pain, letting go of her wrist just long enough for Emily to see that it was definitely broken. It was swollen, twisted in such a way that made them all wince. Derek had scooped her up, careful not to hurt her more before putting her in the backseat of Emily's car, the two women in tow. Garcia had climbed into the backseat with Olivia, trying to calm her down while apologizing profusely to Emily for not watching her closer.

"It's okay, Garcia." Emily had finally said once they were on the way to the hospital, once the shock wore off. She stopped at a red light and suddenly wished she was in one of the FBI issued SUVs so that she could turn on the sirens. "It was an accident."

The rest of the ride to the hospital was silent, save for Olivia's cries – which all three of them quickly realized they hated the sound of. Emily quickly parked the car, rushing inside with Garcia and Derek – who once again had Olivia in his arms – behind her. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

By the time they got home, it was after 10:00 at night and Emily was exhausted. After spending half the day waiting in the emergency room and the other half talking to the doctors and making sure that Olivia was okay to send home, she was more than ready to call it a night.

Derek had followed her into the apartment with Olivia sound asleep on his back. He'd started up the stairs to put her to bed when he was stopped by Emily. He turned around when he heard his name, adjusting Olivia so that she didn't fall off.

"Thank you." She whispered, her eyes trained on his face. Without him, she was sure she would have gone insane. Penelope's support had meant the world to her as well and Emily would be sure to thank her tomorrow but there was something about Derek's presence that just calmed her. It made her feel safe, relaxed.

Derek simply nodded before ascending the stairs to put the sleeping child to bed. He emerged a few minutes later, sitting next to Emily on the sofa. Before she could ask, he put all her worries to rest by saying, "The doctors gave her enough pain meds to knock her out for days. She's fine, Prentiss."

Emily chuckled in response. Derek had been right. The two of them had stayed with her while the doctors x-rayed her arm and told them that she had broken it in two different places. The thought of Derek spending one of his rare days off in the hospital to ensure the wellbeing of her sister who he barely knew was somehow amusing to her. Amusing and sweet.

It only struck her at that moment that Derek was just as much a part of Olivia's life as she was. She managed to choke out a 'thank you' before the relief came flooding over her. The thought of something happening to Olivia and Emily being unable to protect her, however, brought on a bout of tears.

"If something had happened…" She knew how silly her fear was. After contacting her friends in Interpol, she had confirmed that her father was hiding out in Mexico. He had no way of getting to her sister. Still, she felt almost…guilty for not catching her fall.

Derek responded by pulling her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. He felt her tears in the crook of his neck and he felt a sense of relief knowing that she trusted him enough to let him hold her when she cried. Had it been anyone else, Derek was sure she would push them away and avoid them for at least a week out of embarrassment. He was beyond ecstatic that he was the one she trusted to see her in such a state.

He rubbed soothing circles on her back as she tried to control her sobs and he was sure that if one of their superiors had found them, they would be reprimanded immediately. But it was nothing more than a friend comforting a friend, and he ignored the sting in his heart when he thought about it.

Emily's tears subsided and she slowly looked up at Derek. Everything froze around them as she locked eyes with him. The soft hum of the apartment's electricity supply faded and the voices that came from the TV blended into nothing. His eyes were the only thing she could see. His beautiful broken eyes that told a story stared at her, a small flicker of a question that he left unasked in them.

Without thinking too much about it, she stretched her chin up to move closer to his lips. Letting her eyes flutter shut, she brushed them hesitantly against his. Just once. Her stomach took a dive when he remained unresponsive. She'd been wrong. She'd thought he liked her. It was all just misinterpretation.

She started to draw back, and the horrid but familiar feeling of rejection started to set in. She bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut. She'd ruined everything in a matter of seconds. She'd lost a friend to her emotions. It had happened before, but never like this.

But then his warm hands reached out and looped around her center, drawing her closer again. Her heart clenched in hope and she dared a look at him. "Why me?" He asked. The unsure look in his eyes made her even weaker in the knees. The fact that he still doubted himself and her feelings for him astonished her.

He, who was always so sure of himself, always so confident. He exposed his rawest feeling to her in that moment. The constant doubt that he had about himself. Always wondering if he was good enough. He might have thought that she couldn't see it, but she did.

"You are the safest place I've ever been." She answered, staring deep into his eyes. "I don't want to live in a world without you – without _us_."

Derek drew her body closer to his again, leaving no hint of space between them before kissing her. Hesitantly at first, but once they both got hold of their emotions, they fell into a rhythm. Soft brushes of their lips became firm, yet gentle kisses.

His hands trailed down to her waist and his grip grew tighter like he was afraid to let this moment go. His fingers on the back of her shirt were enough to set her on fire. She let her own hands trail up his chest and latch around the back of his neck, softly pressing her fingers into his skin.

Eventually, they had to break apart for air. Emily panted softly into his shoulder, moving her hands to embrace his torso. He trailed small circles on her back with his fingers and breathed softly in her ear.

They stayed like that for a while, simply embracing each other. They had finally laid down all their cards and now they sat vulnerable in front of the other. But with that vulnerability came strength – a sort of strength Emily had never felt before.

"Hey, Em?" Derek whispered in her ear and she hummed to show she was listening. "I always knew you liked me." Emily could practically feel his grin.

"Sure, you did." She smiled softly and his chest twitched as he chuckled. "Profiler, handyman, and a great kisser. Derek Morgan, is there anything you _can't_ do?"

* * *

 _ **February 23, 2011**_

 _ **10:00 AM**_

The next morning, Olivia woke up to an empty apartment. To say she was afraid was an understatement. She checked the entire condo for any sign of Emily or _anyone_ , but nobody was there. Did Emily leave her? Was she too much of a burden? Maybe she lured her into a false sense of security only to leave her to fend for herself. Olivia was used to that – that wasn't the issue – but she had trusted her. She thought Emily was different. She was happy.

There was a loud noise from downstairs and Olivia did the only thing she knew to do – she looked for a place to hide. A closet in the bedroom would do nicely. Her tiny body would be able to fit behind the clothes that Emily had bought her. The footsteps were all over the condo and Olivia could've sworn that there was more than one person inside.

Maybe Emily came back and bought some friends. Her father had done that all the time. Olivia ran into the closet as quietly as possible and contorted her body so that she was hidden. The footsteps got closer and she closed her eyes tightly so she didn't have to see their face when they finally found her.

"Clear!"

She heard right outside the door and if she didn't know any better, she would've said it sounded exactly like her uncle Spencer. She let out a whimper as she adjusted herself and hit her arm on the wall. _This is it._

The door swung open and the clothes moved to the left to reveal the intruder. "Olivia." She opened her eyes when she saw her aunt JJ crouching down in front of her with open arms, trying to coax her out of her hiding spot.

"Aunt JJ!" Olivia ran into her arms, stumbling over a lone shoe in the process. JJ caught her just in time, holding her tightly and rocking her back and forth while she whispered that everything was okay and that she was safe. She couldn't help the sinking feeling in her stomach at the look on Spencer's face and she hid her face in the safety of JJ's shoulder. "Where's Emily?"

JJ pulled away, holding the child at arm's length. "We don't know, sweetie." At the look on her face, she added, "But we're not going to stop until we find her, okay? I _promise_." JJ knew not to make a promise she couldn't keep and she knew that she couldn't keep a promise like that, but she also knew Emily and something had to be seriously wrong for her to just leave.

While she did have a tendency to go dark during her days off, she _always_ showed up for work and when Hotch had tried contacting her to let her know they had a case, they knew something was wrong when she didn't respond. He had ordered JJ and Reid to stay behind and make sure that everything was okay with Emily. A small smile – just for the sake of calming Olivia – tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You can even help us."

Olivia nodded, but the feeling of uneasiness was still there, consuming every part of her. Where was she going to go now? Would they send her back to her father's house until they found her? She wanted to stay with Derek. She liked Derek. She _trusted_ Derek. "Do I have to go back home now?"

JJ and Spencer shared a pained look before she turned back to Olivia, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. "No, sweetheart. You get to stay with Derek until we can bring Emily back to you, okay? Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Olivia nodded. It was what she wanted, after all. So why was she still so sad? She guessed it was because if she had to stay with anyone, she wanted to stay with Emily. She wanted Emily. "I guess." She let JJ lead her out of the room and she hid behind her when they went downstairs and she saw all the people in the apartment. Her eyes landed on Derek and she let go of JJ's hand to run over to him. "Derek!"

He had been sidelined, sitting on the couch waiting for any kind of news when he saw her running towards him – running to safety. He helped her onto the couch – she only had one good arm, after all – and held her tightly. "Princess. We're gonna find her, okay? It's what we do." And as the words came out of his mouth, he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince – her or himself.


End file.
